Canidae relies on an All Life Stages approach to feeding dogs. Most of their products are formulated for all life stages. They produce kibbles and canned food in several formulations: all life stage formulas, senior formula, and several grain free formulas. They also produce cat foods. Canidae is considered to be a premium pet food and can be found at pet stores and for sale online.

The first five ingredients in this food are: Bison, lamb meal, sweet potatoes,peas, chickpeas. We always like to see good sources of animal protein at the top of the ingredient list and we have that here with bison and lamb meal.Sweet potatoes are a good source of vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber.Peas provide plant-based protein – not as good as animal protein and hard for some dogs to digest. Chickpeas are a legume with seeds that are moderately high in protein. They are a member of the fiber-rich legume family of vegetables. Again, this is a plant-based source of protein and not as beneficial for your dog as animal-based protein.

Top 5 Ingredients Breakdown

Bison (buffalo) is similar to beef in many respects but there are some important differences. Bison has slightly fewer calories than beef and about half the fat. Nutritionally, bison is 43 percent protein and 57 percent fat. It is a good source of Niacin, Vitamin B12, Zinc and Selenium, and a very good source of Protein. However, bison is close enough to beef that if your dog has an allergy or sensitivity to beef, it’s likely that he will also react to the bison.
The second ingredient is lamb meal and this is a very good ingredient in a dog food. Lamb is about 60 percent protein. It’s a good source of Vitamin B6, Pantothenic Acid, Phosphorus and Manganese, and a very good source of Vitamin A, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B12, Iron, Zinc, Copper and Selenium. It also contains lots of omega-6 fatty acid. Since this is a meal, most of the moisture has already been removed prior to cooking and the protein is very concentrated.

The third ingredient in the food is sweet potatoes. While sweet potatoes are 93 percent carbohydrates, 6 percent protein, and 1 percent fat, they are also considered to be something of a “super food” because of their vitamin and mineral content. They are a good source of dietary fiber, Vitamin B6 and Potassium, and a very good source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C and Manganese. Plus, most dogs really like the taste of them.

The fourth ingredient here is peas. Peas are a problematic ingredient in dog food for some dogs. Although they boost the protein percentage in food, containing about 24 percent protein, they are also a source of dietary fiber. Peas are not always easily digested by dogs and can result in increased waste and some gastrointestinal issues. They can also interfere with the absorption of vitamins and minerals in the food. Plant-based proteins are generally not as easy for dogs to digest or absorb as animal-based proteins.

The fifth ingredient is chickpeas. Chickpeas are pulses – the dried seeds found in pods of leguminous plants. These legume seeds include various dry beans such pinto beans, navy beans, kidney beans, and black beans, along with lentils, peas, chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans), field beans, cow peas and several others. Pulses don’t include seeds grown for oil production such as peanuts and soybeans, “greens” such as fresh or succulent peas and green beans or leguminous forage seeds such as clover and alfalfa. Pulses can have about twice as much protein content as grains (approximately 20-25%) and have been described as “the poor man’s meat” because of their quality amino acid profile. With the exception of chickpeas, most pulses are low fat, but chickpeas have quite a lot of fat.

Chickpeas are a good source of dietary fiber, protein and copper, and a very good source of folate and manganese. They are 19 percent protein, 13 percent fat, and 68 percent carbohydrates. They do have the unfortunate side effect of often producing flatulence. Perhaps for this reason or others, they are not often used in dog foods though they are sometimes found in vegan dog food.

First 5 Ingredients Summary

Overall, the first five ingredients in this food feature a lot of protein, though some of it comes from plant-based sources. We like the bison and the lamb meal but your dog may have some difficulty digesting the peas and the chickpeas – as well as some flatulence.

Additional Ingredients of Interest

Of concern, the food contains “natural flavor.” This is a deceptive term that often indicates the presence of MSG or monosodium glutamate used for flavoring (read more). This isn’t something that you generally want to add to your dog’s food unless you have a particular object in mind, such as discouraging your dog from eating his own poop. MSG is sometimes recommended as a supplement to make your dog’s waste taste bad to him so he won’t try to eat it. Otherwise, when a food has “natural flavor,” it usually has a lot of salt which isn’t good for your dog. However, in some cases “natural flavor” can indicate the presence of liver broth or beef broth. We just don’t know. But when you see this term listed in the ingredients, it usually sends up a red flag.

We also note that the food contains a number of beneficial ingredients such aschelated minerals (“proteinates”). These are minerals that have been bonded to proteins so they are easier to absorb. They are more expensive for the dog food manufacturer to buy so you usually see them in better dog foods.

The food features canola oil as a source of fat. Canola oil is a good source of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.

The food also features suncured alfalfa. Canidae uses this ingredient in just about all of their foods. It likely provides some additional calcium in the diet but it’s debatable how much it really adds to the nutritional value of the food.

The food also contains several dried fermentation products. These products have been shown to be beneficial in aiding animal digestion, though some of them are probably best understood because they have been used for many years in agricultural production. It’s common to give these products to cattle and other animals to help them gain weight from their food. Of these ingredients the one that people are probably most familiar with is lactobacillus acidophilus, a culture found in yogurt. It’s a probiotic that helps turn sugars into lactic acid. Many people use it to encourage the growth of “good” or beneficial bacteria in the gut. All of the fermentation products listed in the food have similar purposes to help with digestion.

The food uses mixed tocopherols (a form of vitamin E) as a preservative. This is a natural preservative.

Guaranteed Analysis

Crude Protein (min.) 25.00%

Crude Fat (min.) 15.00%

Crude Fiber (max.) 4.00%

Moisture (max.) 10.00%

Linoleic Acid (Omega 6) (min.) 2.60%

Vitamin E (min.) 200.00 IU/kg

Alpha Linolenic Acid (Omega 3)** (min.) 0.60%

Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C)**(min.) 50.00 mg/kg

Lactobacillus acidophilus** (min.) 100 million CFU/lb.

Cellulase** (a) (min.) 100 CMCU/kg

**Not recognized as an essential nutrient by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles.

Calories Content

474 calories per 8 oz cup

Nutritional Adequacy Statement

Canidae Pure Land Dog Food formula is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for adult maintenance.

Dry Matter Basis

On a dry matter basis, this food contains approximately 27.8 percent protein and 16.7 percent fat. These are considered moderate percentages of protein and fat for a premium dog food today. Fiber makes up about 4.4 percent of the food which is average for most kibbles. The food contains an estimated 42.2 percent carbohydrates which is moderately high compared to most kibbles today.

Summary

This looks like an average food with average protein and fat percentages for a premium dog food today. The animal protein in the food (bison and lamb meal) are appealing but we have some concerns about the plant-based proteins and how well dogs will digest them.

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